VCT Pacific Drops to No.2 as Stage 2 Peak Viewers Fall 43%

VCT Pacific lost its place as Valorant’s most-watched regional league after Stage 2 peak viewers fell 42.8% to about 305,300 during the grand final, leaving the region behind VCT Americas by peak viewership.

Stage 2 broadcasts in the Pacific generated 22.5 million Hours Watched, up 10% from Stage 1. Average Viewers for the stage declined 20.5% while Peak Viewers fell 42.8%.

Organizers and analysts identified the early elimination of Paper Rex, a major audience draw, as a key factor. Paper Rex won Stage 1 but did not reach the top four in Stage 2.

English-language streams saw Average Viewers drop from about 46,000 to 31,300. Vietnamese and Indonesian broadcasts each lost roughly half their audiences. The official VCT Pacific YouTube channel recorded about a 33.5% decline in Average Viewers. Community casters Pujan (GOFNS) Mehta and Hashimoto (bijusan) Ren also recorded notable audience decreases.

The Stage 2 grand final was a five-map match in which Global Esports completed a reverse sweep to defeat Nongshim RedForce 3–2. Global Esports received a $100,000 first-place prize and its first VCT Pacific title.

Global Esports and Nongshim RedForce qualified directly for VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai, scheduled Sept. 24 to Oct. 18. Paper Rex and T1 will also represent the Pacific region at Champions.

Regional rankings shifted from Stage 1, when Pacific led all regions and posted nearly twice the peak audience of Americas. The last time Americas outperformed Pacific by peak viewers was during the VCT Kickoff tournaments in early 2025.